National Board Certification Suggested

Read the Guide for National Board Certification at http://www.nbpts.org/candidates/guide/. In this guide there are descriptions of certification areas, as well as outlines of the standards for those areas. The guide also lists application deadlines, fees, and resources.
Download the standards document for your certificate area at http://www.nbpts.org/standards/stds_framework.cfm. This document will detail what a National Board certified teacher in your field should know and be able to do. Read it carefully and use it as a guide to evaluate your current practice.
Keep a journal and use it to reflect on how your practice meets the standards. Reflection is an important part of the NBPTS certification process. Your journal will assist you in identifying evidence that your practice meets the standards. For instance, you could write about a certain lesson and analyze what worked and what did not. Or, you could write once a week about how well you are creating a learning environment in your classroom. You could also write about areas that you think you need to improve on and how you will try to do so. All of these kinds of journaling are practices that required in the portfolio.
Videotape your classroom in both whole-group and small-group situations. Two portfolio entries require videotapes of teaching. Although the tapes you make before your certification year cannot be used for your portfolio, the practice of looking at yourself will get easier the more you do it. Use these videotapes as you do the journal. Search for evidence of how well you meet the standards and which areas need improvement.
Gather evidence of contributions you have made to the profession. National Board candidates are asked to give evidence of contributions and reflect on how those activities have improved their teaching and their student's learning. Some examples of this might include serving on building or district committees, serving as a mentor or cooperating teacher, facilitating workshops, receiving awards, or serving on state and national committees. The evidence can take place in the five years previous to your application year.
Gather evidence of how you communicate with parents and the community to facilitate student learning. This evidence should demonstrate two-way communication between school and home and it must be beyond the routine of your normal job expectations. You may wish to keep a log of parent contacts that are written, in person, over the phone, or even through e-mail. Other examples could include hosting family math night, or inviting community members to speak in your classroom.
Investigate sources of help in your candidacy year. The NBPTS Web site will provide information and people to contact. Candidates can post comments, questions, or requests for assistance to a message board. NBCTs and candidates read these posts and respond to you. You can attend sessions at state and national conventions about National Board certification. You might request that your school or CESA provide an in-service on NBC. Check for district support from a curriculum director or principal or contact WEAC (jettyr@weac.org) regarding support information in your area.
Review your knowledge of the content of your certificate area. The knowledge you need to demonstrate may be broader than the curriculum you are currently teaching. Certificate areas many encompass many grade levels and areas. For example, high school teachers in science must demonstrate knowledge in biology, physics, earth science, and chemistry. An elementary generalist must demonstrate knowledge of developmental stages for a range of grades.
Apply to be an assessor of National Board certfication entries. Following a rigorous training by the National Board, teachers with a minimum of three years experience in a certificate area can serve as assessors. Assessment is done in the summer. Grading entries will give you a good understanding of the process, as well as what evidence meets the standards.
Download the Scoring Guide for your certificate area at http://www.nbpts.org/candidates/scoringguides.cfm. In this guide you will find scoring guidelines for each certificate entry. This will give you a feel for the level of rigor expected in the process and help you to read the directions to pre-plan your portfolio entries.